Fisherwomen will now be able to travel with their baskets of fish in buses dedicated to them.
The Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation (KFDC) will introduce two buses called “Matsyavahini”, entirely at their service in each of the fisheries ports in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada.The buses will start operating from the second week of June. Chairman of the KFDC Ramachandar Baikampady told presspersons here on Saturday that the KFDC would operate buses at all ports in the Karwar-Mangalore region. The buses would make two trips daily from Ullal to Bunder and from Sasihitlu to Bunder in Mangalore region. The KFDC has announced another scheme under which fisherwomen in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts can avail loans at an affordable rate of interest from the second week of June. Out of 153 fisherwomen licensed to sell dry fish, 50 eligible women have been selected for a loan of Rs. 15,000 each from the Indian Overseas Bank at 4 per cent a year interest. Loans worth Rs. 50,000 but within Rs. 1 lakh would be charged at 9 per cent interest, he said.
